Substation selective apparatus.



0. B. HJORTH. SUBSTATION SELECTIVE APPARATUS.

APPLIUATION FILED JULY 18, 1912.

1,072,459, Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

Mutieis (35 MUM/ 4 OSCAR IB. HJORTH, OF SANDWICH, ILLINOIS.

SUBSTATION SELECTIVE APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

Application filed July 18, 1912. Serial No. 710,147.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR l3. HJon'rn, a resident of Sandwich, in the county of Dekalb and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Substation Selective Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to sub'station selective apparatus and particularly to apparatus to be installed at each of a plurality of sub-stations to be selected for service from a central station and to have signaling mechanism at a selected sub-station controlled from the central station.

In prior selective systems complicated substation mechanism is required involving a great many contacts and depending for proper operation on time elements. Such time elements operate usually on very small margin and the greatest of care must be taken in the control of the system. In fact, it is necessary for proper operation of such systems to provide accurately adjusted automatically operating central station selector mechanism. If such central station appa ratus becomes defective or inoperative the system is practically out of service as it is almost impossible to operate and control the system except with such carefully adjusted and automatically operating central station mechanism.

One of the important objects of my invention is therefore to provide such construction and arrangement that all time elements will be dispensed with and so that the system may readily be operated by means of ordinary keys and switches should the central station mechanism at any time become defective or inoperative.

Another object is to reduce sub-station contacts to a minimum, only one set of contacts being required at my improved substation apparatus to control the signaling circuit. In general the object is to provide simplified construction and arrangement of sub-station apparatus having a minimum of contacts and being entirely devoid of time elements.

The various features of the invention will be clearly understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a sub-station outfit, and Fig. 2 is a side elevational view showing more clearly the construction of the stepaip ratchet wheel mechanism.

The sub-station apparatus shown comprises a polarized main relay 5, a step-up electro-magnet 6, a signal controlling circuit relay 7, a releasing electro-magnet 8, a toothed selector wheel 9 which carries a contact arm 10 forming one terminal of a signaling circuit, and the step-up movement of th1s wheel is controlled by the step-up electro-magnet together with the spring 11. The armature 12 of the signaling circuit controlling relay 7 controls the cooperation of the other terminal of the signaling circuit with the terminal contact 10, and this relay also controls the circuit for the release clectro-magnet, which will be presently described in detail.

The main relay controls the circuit for the other relays and electro-magnets, and as shown, comprises the winding spools 13, '23 mounted on the cores 1 1, 14: connected at one end by the yoke 15. A nonmagnetic frame 16 connects the pole ends of the cores, and mid-way between the pole ends this frame pivots an armature 17 which is polarized by the permanent magnet 18 extending from the yoke 15. A contact extension or arm 19 at one end of the armature engages between the upper ends of light springs 20 and 21 extending upwardly from the bracket 22, these springs normally holding the armature in neutral position with reference to the electroanagnet poles. At one side of the arm 19 the contact post mounts a contact screw 24. At the opposite side ol. the arm 19 the post 25 supports the abutment screw 26. Extending from the other end of the armature is a contact arm 27 adjacent whose end is a post 28 carrying the contact screw 29. The various parts and mechanisms of the sub-station ap niratus are mounted upon a suitable supporting plate or base 30. \Vhcn the main relay is delinergized the springs 20 and 21 hold the armature in neutral position so that. the arms 19 and 27 are disconnected from the contact screws 2 1 and 29 and the abutment screw 26. Upon current How of one polarity through the eleclro-luagnct windings electro-magnet (3. The armature 31 of this electro-magnet is pivoted at: its upper end to the yoke 82 and at its lower end is pivoted to the pawl arm 33 which cooperates with the teeth of the step-up ratchet wheel 9. The swing ot the armature and the movement of the pawl arm is controllable by the adjustable abutment screws 84 and 35, and the adjustable abutment screw 36 limits the upwardthrow of't-hepawl arm. The armature 3 1 is normally held in retracted; position bythe abutment of. the light spring extension 36 with the abutment screw 87.

The armature 38' of the release electromagnet 8 carries spring extension 39for co-- operating with the ratchet wheel- 9 as a detent therefor. This detent: spring engages with the wheel below the pawl' arm' 33' and when the. armature 38' is attractedthe ends of the detent and pawl arm will be raised torel'ease the ratchet wheel after a setting thereof. The ratchet wheel'has a long tooth 40'which is normally engaged by the detent' and the pawl arm and at such time the ratchet wheel will not be' released even though the armature of the releasing elec t-ro-magnet is attracted'as the abutment screw 36. prevents upward movement of the end of the pawl arm beyond; the long tooth. The armature 38is normally'held' in retracted posit-io-nby the engagement of its spring extension 41* with the abutment 42. Cooperation. of the contact 29 and the armature structure of the main relay controls the circuit for the signaling circuit controlling re lay 7. The armature 1201? this relay-carries acontact spring 48 which forms one terminal 01"? the signaling circuit and this contact cooperates w1th-the contact arm 10 on the ratchet wheel 9to control the-signal ing circuit, as will be described later. The armature structure 12 also carriesanother spring 44 forming one terminal of the circuit for the release electro-magnet, the other terminal of this circuit beingthe contact screw 45. Extending from the armature structure 12 andparallel with the contact spring 43 is the arm- 46 whose end- 47 extends downwardly to'form the locking hook or abutment for the contact arm 10; this'end 47 extending a distance below the adjacent end of the contact spring 43', Below the contact spring 43 and parallel therewith is arm 48 which carries the insulating: stud 49- received by suitable opening inthe'contactspring 43, so that this spring may freely vibrate but is prevented from becoming laterally displaced;

the spring extension 49 engaging the abutment 50 and during such retractedi position the arms 4S-and46 and contact spring 43tare out, of thepath of contact arm lOrand. the contact extension 44 is disconnected from: terminal 45;

The armature structure 12 is normally heldin retracted positlonby' Fig. 2 shows more clearly the construction of the selector ratchet wheel and contact mechanism. The wheel 9 is mounted on the spindle 51 pivoted in the ends of the bracket 52, the spiral restoring spring 11 connecting ,atone end to this spindle and its outer end: .being secured to the post 53. Nuts 54 and '55 on the spindle clamp between the disk 56 from which the contact arm 10 extends.

On the supporting base bindingxpo'sts 64,1); 0, (Z, and e' are mounted; the post ebeing electrically connected with the" supportingbase 30 which in this case is of conducting material while the other binding-posts are insulated from the base. Gontact support ing posts 23 and 28 are also insulated from the base, and the cont-act post 45- and the bracket 52 are electrically connected with the base. Binding posts a and cl are connected by conductors and g with the-'ter minals of the main relay 5 One terminal. of-" the step-up electro-magnet is connected through conductor h with the binding post a and the other terminal "of this electromagnet is connected through conductor 2' with the contact 24. Binding post a also connects through conductor with one-ten minal of the relay 7 whose other terminal is connected through the conductor 7c withthe contact 29. Binding post 6 is connected by conductor Z'with the contact spring 48. One terminal of the electro-magnet 8 connects with conductor 72 and thus-Withbindingpost a, while its other terminal is core nected by conductor m with contact spring 44. A local source of current it connectswith binding posts a and e and a signaling device 0 such as a bell is connected with. binding posts a and b. The line conductors L, L extend from binding posts 0 and alto the central station G. At the central station suitable means may be provided for sending either positive or negative current impulses over theline. As shown, the current S isprovided at the central station and its connection with the line ijs cont rolled= by a key 7), a suitable pole changer switchqbeing interposed so that upon actuati'oiro f'the key the direction-of current flow through the line will be in one direction or the other.

Describing now. the operation; suppose it is desired to select for service the substation shown; The selection number of the substation shown is 30, that is, it will'take thirty attractions of armature 31 to carry thecon tact arm 10 from its normal position to the signaling position. The central station ope erator after properly adjusting the pole changer gwill actuate thekey pthirtytimes. Upon each such actuation current will flow from the positive. pole of" thebattery S through the pole changer and line conduct-or L to binding post (Z thence through the windings of. the relay 5 to binding post 0-, and through line conductor L and? the pole changer to the negative terminal of the battery. Upon each impulse, contact 2 will be engaged by the arm 19 of the armature structure, which armature structure is electrically connected with the base 30. Each such engagen'ient with the contact 24k will close the circuit of the step-up electro-magnet to cause one step-up actuation of the armature 31 and pawl arm 33. The step-up circuit includes battery a, binding post a, conductor h, the stepup electro-magnet winding, conductor 2', contact 24, the armature structure, and binding post a. After the ratchet wheel 9 has been advanced thirty teeth, the end of contact arm 10 will be below the end of spring l3 and between the end of arm 48 and the hook 47. After such setting up of the contact arm 10 the pole changer g is reversed and the key p depressed to close the circuit and current will flow from the positive pole of battery S through the pole change and line conductor L to binding post 0, and in reverse direction through the windings of re lay 5 and back to the battery. The armature 17 will then be swung to engage its arm 27 with contact 29 to close the following circuit through the signaling circuit controlling relay 7: battery a, binding post a, conductor j, winding of relay 7 conductor Iv, contact 2%), arm 27 and armature structure 17, base 30, and binding post e. Relay 7 being energized will attract its armature to carry the end of spring 43 toward the end of contact arm 10 and upon engagement of these contacts the following signaling circuit will be closed: battery a, signaling device 0, binding post I), conductor Z, contact spring 4E3, contact arm 10, base 30 and binding post 6. The signaling device 0 which may be a call bell, will thus respond.

When the arn'lature 12 is fully attracted contact extension 4.4 thereon will engage with contact 45 to close the following circuit: battery a, binding post a, conductor /t, the winding of the electro-magnet 8, conductor on, contact extension 44:, contact 4.5, base 30, and binding post 6. The adjustment, however, is such that before contact extension 44 reaches contact t5 the end of locking hook 47 will have passed below the upper end of contact arm 10. This arm will be held to close the signaling circuit so long as relay 7 is energized even after the releasing circuit is closed and the detent 39 and pawl arm 33 raised from the wheel 9. The signaling circuit can be kept closed any length of time by the key 1) at the central station and immediately upon opening of this key both the relay 7 and the electromagnet 8 become deenergizecl and their armatures will retract, detent 39 dropping into engagement with the ratchet wheel 9 to lock the arm 10 in position just outside of the hook 47. To finally restore the step-up wheel, another negative impulse is sent through the main relay by actuation of key 7) to again energize electromagnets 7 and 8. The attraction of the armature structure 12 will not affect the contact arm 10, as the arm is out of range there of, but upon attraction of armature 38, the detent 39 and pawl arm 33 will be raised from the ratchet wheel and this wheel restored to normal position by the spring 11 and with its long teeth 40 in engagementwith detent 39 and pawl lever 33. The substation mechanisms are thus again restored to normal position ready for another selection and signaling operation. As the station operator may neglect to give the final negative impulse to fully restore the ratchet wheel, the safe procedure would be to send a negative impulse through the main relay to cause the released electro-magnet to allow restoration of the ratchet wheel if it is not already in such normal position. \V here automatic selector mechanism is employed at the central station, such primary restoring impulse can be taken care of by such apparatus to be sure that all parts are in normal position before the operation of selection is begun.

At the various sub-stations connected with the line the contact arms 10 are of course differently set. lVhen the selection has been made of sub-station 30, the contact arms at substations 1 to 29 will be at the left of and below the end of the arms 48 on armature structures 12, these arms 48 having no electrical connection with the signaling circuit. Now when the ringing relays 7 an all the sub-stations are energized by the reverse current flow through the main relay, the signaling eircuit at sub-station 30 only will be closed and the contact arm at this sub-station locked against retraction by the hook +7. \Vhen now the contacts l t and -15 are closed by relays 7 the releasing electro-magnets atthe various sub-stations will be energized and the detent pawls withdrawn from the stepup wheels. However, such release of the pawls will not allow the step-up wheels to return to normal as the wheel at station 30 held by the hook -17 and at the other stations the wheels are held by the engagement of the contact arms 10 with the arms 48 on the attracted armature structures 12. So long as the circuit is retained through the relays 7 the signal circuit at station 30 will remain closed and the signal bell sounded and as soon as the energizing circuit is opened both ringing and releasing relays will be deenergized, the armature struc tures 1:2 being released from the contact arms 10 and the detent pawls dropping toward the step-up wheels and before such step-up wheels are caught by the pawls they will have returned at least partly to normal position. Another negative impulse then through the main relay will effect euergization o1 the ringing and detent relays and the paWls-Will' be raised until all thestepup wheels have been fully restored.

lily improved construction and arrangement of sub-station apparatus is extremely simple as there are no time elements to be considered and only a few contacts are necessar the signaling circuit of each substation being controlled by a single set of contacts. The. signaling circuit is absclutely controllable from the central-station as after a: selection operation under current flow ct one polarity through the main relay ringing WlllIlOb take place until current of reverse polarity issent through the line and main relay and the signaling circuit will be kept closed so long as such reverse current flow is maintained.

As changes and modifications will no doubt be possible I- donot desire to be limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown and described, and

I therefore claim the following:

1-. In substation selective apparatus, the combination of a movable contact member, electro-magnet mechanism associated with said contact member and adapted to effect step by: step set-up movement thereof, anelectro-magnet havingan armature struc turc provided with a contact adapted upon attraction of said armature structure to engage with the set-up movable contact memher, a signaling circuit .closed by said engaging contact members, d-etent mechanism for holding said movable contact member in set-up position after setting up thereof by said electro-magnet mechanism, a retaining member on said armature structure moved upon attraction of said armature structure to prevent restoration of said movable contact member independently of said detent mechanism, a releasing electrounagnet for controlling said detent mechanism, and a circuit for said releasing electro-magnet closed by said armature structure during the latter part of its movement whereby said set-up contact member is locked by the retaining member before release of the detent mechanism.

2; In sub-station selective apparatus, the combination of a movable contact member, electro-magnet mechanism for effecting step by step setting up movement of said contact member, detent mechanism for preventing return of said contact member after setting up thereof, a releasing electro-ma-gnet for said detent mechanism, a signaling electr0magnet having an armature structure provided with a contact adapted upon attraction ofsaid' armature structure to engage with the movable contact member, a signal circuit closed by said contact members, a retaining member onsaid armature structure moved by the at racted armature structure toretain said movable contact In sub-station selective mechanism, the

combination of a step-by-step movablecontact member, electro magnet mechanisminr controlling the step by step setting up move:

ment ofsaid contact member, detent mechanism for said setting up member, a releasing electro-magnet controlling said detent mechanism, a signaling electrounagnet having an armature structure provided with a contact adapted upon attraction of said armature structure to engage with the contact member, a signaling circuit closed by the-engaged" contacts, a controlling circuit for said signaling electro-magnet, contact mechanism closed during the latter part ofjmovement of said armature structure, and a circuit for said releasing electro-magne't controlled by said cont-act mechanism whereby said detent mechanism Wlll be actuated to release the movable contact member a period oi time after engagement ofsaid contact members toclose the signaling circuit. 7

l. In sub-station selective mechanism, the combination of a main relay mechanism, a signaling circuit, a contact for said signaling circuit, a relay controlling said contact and having a circuit controlled-by said main relay, a movable contact for said signaling circuit, electromagnetic step-up mechanism for shifting said movable contact into the path of said first mentioned contact whereby upon actuation of said second mentioned relay said. contacts Will be brought intoengagement and said signaling circuit closed, and electromagnetic restoring mechanism for releasing said movable cont-act and having a circuit controlled by said second mentioned relay.

5. In sub-station selective'mechanism, thecombination of a polarized main relay, a

signaling circuit, a controlling relay for said signaling circuit carrylngacontact therefor, a step-up member carrying another contact for said signaling circuit, a step-up electromagnet having an armature associated With said step-up member to eilect movement of said step-upinember to carry its contact into the path of said other contact whereby said si naling circuit may be closed uponactuation of said signaling circuit controlling relay, a. releasing circuit controlled by said signal circuit controlling relay, an electromagnet in said releasing circuit, and an armature for said releasing electro-magnet having detent engagement with said step-up member to lock said member after move ment thereof by said step-up electroanagnet, said armature when attracted causing release of said step-up member from the looking detent and step-up armature.

(3. In sub-station selective meclumism, the combination of a polarized main relay, a signaling circuit, a controlling relay for said signaling circuit having its own circuit controlled upon current flow in one direction through said main relay, the armature structure of said controlling relay carrying a contact forming one contact of said signaling circuit, a step-up wheel having a contact and adapted to carry said contact into the path of said controlling relay contact, a step-up electro-magnet having an armature structure cooperating with said step-up wheel to effect step-by step movement thereof, a circuit for said step-up electro-magnet controlled upon current flow through said main relay in the opposite direction, a releasing electro-magnet having an armature, a detent extension on said armature cooperating with said step-up wheel to lock said wheel after actuation thereof, attraction of said releasing electro-magnet armature causing said detent extension and said step-up electromagnet armature structure to be released from said step-up wheel, a spring for returning said step-up wheel to normal position after such release, and a circuit for said releasing elcctro-n'iagnet controlled by said signaling circuit controlling relay.

7. In substation selective apparatus, the combination of a polarized main relay, a signaling circuit, a controlling relay for said circuit, a contact carried by the armature of said controlling relay and Forming one terminal of said signaling circuit, a contact arm, step-up mechanisn'l for effecting step by step movement of said arm toward the path of said controlling relay c0ntact, said arm forming another terminal of the signaling circuit to close said signaling circuit upon engagement thereof by the controlling relay contact, detent means for locking said arm against return movement before said arm is engaged by said contact, additional detent means for locking said arm against return movement after engagement thereof by said contact, and electromagnetic means for causing said first mentioned detent means to release said arm after release thereof by said additional detent means.

8. In substation selective apparatus, the combination of a selector member carrying a contact, a signaling circuit of which said contact forms one terminal, a controlling relay for said circuit, a contact controlled by said relay to be brought into engagement with said movable contact after adjustment of said movable contact, an electro-magnet for effecting step-hy step movement of the selector member, a releasing elcctroanagnet for effecting release of said selector memher, a circuit for said releasing electro-magnot controlled by said controlling relay, locking means controlled by said controlling relay for locking said contacts against disengagement when said releasing elect-romagnet is primarily energized, a circuit for said controlling relay and electro-n1agnctic switch mechanism for controlling said circuit.

9. In sub-station selective mechanism, the combination of a signaling circuit, a rota table arm forming one terminal of said cir cuit, a controlling relay for said circuit having an armature structure provided with a contact forming the other terminal of said circuit, attraction of said armature structure when said contact arm has been moved to a certain position causing engagement of said arm and said armature contact to close the signaling circuit, a ratchet wheel connected with said contact arm, a step-up electro-magnet, a pawl lever controlled by said electro-magnet to eilcct step by step rotation of said ratchet wheel and thereby step by step rotation of the arm toward the path of said controlling relay contact, a releasing electro-magnet having an armature structure, a detent extension on said armature structure for cooperating with said ratchet wheel to lock said wheel in adjusted posi tion after each advancement thereof, a circuit for said releasing electro-magnet closed upon attraction of said circuit controlling relay, energization of said releasing electro-magnet serving to disengage said detent extension and said pawl from said ratchet Wheel, and a locking arm on the armature structure of said cont-rolling relay for locking said contact arm against retraction before closure of the releasing circuit by said controlling relay.

10. In substation selective mechanism, the combination of a signaling circuit, a ratchet wheel having a contact arm torn1- ing one terminal of said circuit, a controlling relay for said circuit having an armature structure, a contact carried by said armature structure adapted upon attraction of said armature structure to engage with said contact arm after said contact arm has been moved into the path of said armature contact, a step-up electro-magnethaving an armature structure, a pawl lever connected with said armature structure and cooperating with said ratchet wheel to effect step by step movement of said ratchet wheel contact arm toward said controlling relay armature contact, a releasing electro-magl'iet having an armature structure, a detent extension on said releasing armatmre structure engaging with said ratchet wheel below said pawl lever to lock said ratchet Wheel against retracti0n ,after each advancement thereof by said pawl lever, a circuit for said releasing electro-magnet, circuit closing mechanism :controlledbysaid controlling relay for said releasing circuit said circuit closing mechanism being closed only after said controlling relay armature approaches the end of its movement, a locking arm on the controlling 10 relay armature structure for-'p1"eventing retracti-ve-movement of said contact arm when said releasing circuit is closed, and a main relay for controlling the circuits of said controlling relay and said step-u-p relay.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe 15 my name, this 15th day of July -A. 1)., 1912.

OSCAR B. HJORIH. Witnesses:

D. BKELLIS, R BY E. LOLDELL.

Washington, 1). c. 

